Dehra Dun: Himalayan Day, which is observed on September 9 with an aim to create awareness about issues related to the mountain chain, would be celebrated in Delhi this year.

Chief Minister of the national capital, Sheila Dikshit, will attend the function as a chief guest, Anil Joshi, founder of the event's organiser, city-based NGO Himalayan Environment and Science Conservation Organisation (HESCO), said.

Since several states like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh also use the resources of the Himalayas, there is a need to create awareness about such issues in their people, he added.

The focus of this year's Himalayan Day would be to create a development indicator on the basis of environment, which is expected to provide details about air, water and soil conditions of the country.

"This indicator would review the changing environment condition of the country every year and it can be called Gross Environment Product (GSP), on the lines of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)," Joshi said.

Current development indicators do not represent the issues related to the common person, he said, adding that no roadmap has so far been prepared for the development and protection of the Himalayas.

"Instead, in the name of so called development, hydel projects and industrialisation are being promoted," he said.

The Himalayan Day, which was first observed in 2010, would be celebrated in nearly 450 places across the country with several voluntary organisations and educational and research institutions participating.